Sean Dyche has a number of big decisions to make ahead of Everton vs West Ham today, but it’s not the change that many supporters have been calling for.
Everton face West Ham in what could be the biggest game of Sean Dyche‘s season, as a loss could prove fatal if the teams below the Toffees pick up points.
The Friedkin Group my not be in charge yet but they’ve already shown they’re not going to mess around, with David Moyes seen as a replacement.
All eyes will be on Jarrad Branthwaite ahead of the game after all the controversy that leaving him out caused against Southampton.
However, it’s hard to know what Dyche will do, as Michael Keane and James Tarkowski have been his go-to men so far this season at centre-back.
There’s another call that Sean Dyche needs to make after the last two performances.
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Sean Dyche needs to drop Vitalii Mykolenko for the West Ham clash
Vitalii Mykolenko has been the go-to man at left-back for Everton this season, playing 656 minutes in the Premier League up until this point.
He’s started the last three games for the Toffees after returning from a calf injury.
However, the last two games just haven’t worked out for him.
The Ukrainian full-back was exposed by Adama Traore with his pace, as Fulham got down the left-hand side on numerous occasions.
It was the same story against Southampton in the first-half too, as Kyle Walker-Peters and Adam Armstrong exposed him with runs in behind and an overload on the right.
He’s been massively ineffective in the final third and in the build-up for the Toffees, successfully completing just three of his nine crosses in the last two games, as well as just one of 11 long balls.
Giving the ball away has been a third issue. There was a bizarre moment against Fulham where he went to clear the ball and just simply passed it straight to Fulham on the edge of the box.
Michael Ball notices how much of a ‘weak link’ Mykolenko is
Michael Ball also agrees with the fact that Mykolenko hasn’t been great this season.
After the loss to Southampton he labelled him as a ‘weak link’.
“Vitaliy Mykolenko has had a slow start to the season since he came back.
“He had a poor first half against Fulham and because there’s no pace in behind, he’s being targeted as a weak link by the opposition because they know if they get beyond the full-back, they’re free.
“Last season, if Mykolenko did get beaten then he was covered by Jarrad, who would be two or three yards further over on that side to make it difficult for the opposition.”
One option would be to put Seamus Coleman at right-back and move Ashley Young over to left-back.
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